Perhaps good Expectations Engineering is all it takes to put Cynicism out of business. There has to be some explanation for why I lost no sleep over the financial crimes committed by two Goldman Sachs presidential administrations over the last year. In fact, whenever the secretary of the treasury or the chairman of the Federal Reserve would speak, I would just look at their lips moving and say, "Yep, they're lying. What of it."
Likewise, my expectations of the business news media have dissolved into the mud, and once again, I was not disappointed with their performance. Maybe I've finally learned the secret of positive thinking.
In contrast it has been reassuring to find individual pundits and commentators, here and there, that speak clearly and honestly. The limiting case is probably Elizabeth Warren, chairman of the Congressional Oversight Committee of the TARP program. If only she had some real power.
It's interesting that, these days, I sometimes agree with people who are usually on the opposite side. Trader Mark over at seekingAlpha.com has been a pleasure to read. Mish Shedlock has been informative, day after day. I have a quote from him about the only topic that has really disturbed me: where is the sense of outrage about the Washington/Wall Street crime syndicate? Here's Mish:
Likewise, my expectations of the business news media have dissolved into the mud, and once again, I was not disappointed with their performance. Maybe I've finally learned the secret of positive thinking.
In contrast it has been reassuring to find individual pundits and commentators, here and there, that speak clearly and honestly. The limiting case is probably Elizabeth Warren, chairman of the Congressional Oversight Committee of the TARP program. If only she had some real power.
It's interesting that, these days, I sometimes agree with people who are usually on the opposite side. Trader Mark over at seekingAlpha.com has been a pleasure to read. Mish Shedlock has been informative, day after day. I have a quote from him about the only topic that has really disturbed me: where is the sense of outrage about the Washington/Wall Street crime syndicate? Here's Mish:
"I am outraged and not just about Goldman Sachs, but about a process that allows, even encourages political pandering, by time and time again rewarding leveraged riverboat gamblers and failed institutions and at taxpayer expense.
I am outraged that real people are suffering massively while the influence peddlers have stolen the country for their own personal benefit.
I am outraged how legislators ignored the wishes of the people who clearly did not want these bailouts in the first place.
I am outraged that very little of this is in mainstream media. Why is this stuff not on the frontpage of every newspaper in the country or at least in the editorial pages?
I am outraged that all these bailout programs are doing nothing to alleviate the massive consumer debt problems. Every program, virtually every program was designed to bailout lending institutions, not consumers.
I am outraged over government pension plans and government pay scales massively out of line with the private sector.
I am outraged that Congress and this administration thinks the solution to massive budget deficits are still higher budget deficits in excess of a trillion dollars.
I
am outraged that the two party system has failed. Neither party has
delivered meaningful change on budgets, on taxes, on social security,
on deficit spending, on the size of government, on military spending,
or fighting needless wars.
I am outraged that the Obama Administration promised changed and did not deliver. "Yes We Can" was a lie. The reality is "It's Business As Usual, Only Worse, With Higher Deficits"."
I am outraged that the Obama Administration promised changed and did not deliver. "Yes We Can" was a lie. The reality is "It's Business As Usual, Only Worse, With Higher Deficits"."
